Dear Faculty and Instructors,
As you may already be aware, a series of events in support of the Global Climate Strike effort are being planned by student groups from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Friday September 20, on Sproul Plaza. These events include a walkout planned for 11:00 AM.
Climate change is one of the most significant problems of our time, and Berkeley strongly supports efforts to bring attention to this urgent issue. Just yesterday, Janet Napolitano and the Chancellors of all 10 UC campuses joined with other college and university leaders to declare a climate emergency and have committed to an action plan that includes expanding climate research and education and becoming carbon neutral by 2025.
Since the climate strike events will take place when some classes are in session, please have a plan in place to ensure the continuity of the delivery of your course content. Instructors should be mindful of APM Policy 015 and holding class when scheduled or arranging make-up sessions. According to COCI guidelines, individual faculty members are encouraged to handle missed courses and exams according to their usual instructional policies.
Given this opportunity to highlight such an important issue, instructors may want to consider including climate-related instructional content within their classes on Friday.
Sincerely,
A. Paul Alivisatos
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Oliver O’Reilly
Chair, Academic Senate - Berkeley Division